Why not tackle the real criminals?
Recently Bertie Ahern called for an end to criminality from the IRA only. Just as well, because then one of his handpicked ministers, Ray Burke "an honourable man hounded out of office" was frogmarched into jail.
Burke was caught for tax evasion, just one of the many facets of criminality. Prior to the tribunals there were rumours and accusations about Burke's financial shenanigans. Yet Ahern still appointed him minister for foreign affairs. Now Burke is behind bars as a convicted criminal.
And as for our sainted PDs, let's have a look at their attitude to law-breaking: in December it was revealed that Mary Harney's Department of Health was sitting on 18-month-old legal advice that it was breaking the law by charging nursing home patients for free services.
At €2.5 million a week for 18 months, that means the state knowingly and illegally stole around €195m from one of the most vulnerable groups in society.
Instead of correcting the situation, Harney proposed to change the law retrospectively to make legal a criminal activity. And what about Justice Minister Michael McDowell? Under his watch, AIB systematically overcharged its foreign exchange customers. It had to repay them €25m. This practice is known as salami-slicing in financial circles, stealing in others, and is illegal in all.
Does that make AIB a bank robber? And what exactly has McDowell done about it? There have been no arrests and people still have their jobs. Also under McDowell's watch, AIB repaid €114m in the DIRT scandal. In that seedy episode, the bank knowingly set up bogus non-resident accounts to help people evade tax. That is a criminal activity. Yet we have had no arrests or convictions.
Is a bank robber someone who robs a bank as well as a bank that robs? These are astronomical amounts of money being stolen. Worse still, the crimes are being committed by people in power who have little chance of getting caught and even less chance of being prosecuted. The stench of hypocrisy from Dáil Éireann is overpowering..
Cllr John Brady
Bray Town Council
63 Kilbride Grove
Bray
Co Wicklow
